CV and resume preparation

Jane Butterfield

University of Victoria

October 1, 2014

CV October 1, 2014 1 / 11

Organization

Academic life:

Research

Teaching

Service

What about education? outreach? awards? fellowships?What order do you list them in?How much detail do you need?

CV October 1, 2014 2 / 11

Organization

Academic life:

Research

Teaching

Service

What about education? outreach? awards? fellowships?

What order do you list them in?How much detail do you need?

CV October 1, 2014 2 / 11

Organization

Academic life:

Research

Teaching

Service

What about education? outreach? awards? fellowships?What order do you list them in?

How much detail do you need?

CV October 1, 2014 2 / 11

Organization

Academic life:

Research

Teaching

Service

What about education? outreach? awards? fellowships?What order do you list them in?How much detail do you need?

CV October 1, 2014 2 / 11

Activity

Choose one of the sample CVs, and answer the following questions:

What sort of job does this person have?

What sort of job does this person want?

What are this person’s main achievements?

Make it easy for the hiring committee to interpret your CV.

CV October 1, 2014 3 / 11

Choose a candidate

Research Postdoc[Named after a person] Assistant Professorship - 7/1/2011:The Department of Mathematics at the [Research University], is committed toacademic excellence and diversity within the faculty, staff and student body. We areseeking an outstanding candidate for a special three-year assistant professorship, the[Named after a person] Assistant Professorship, pending funding approval. Weencourage applications in any area of pure mathematics, applied mathematics, orstatistics. The nine-month salary is $58,100. This is a three-year nonrenewableappointment. Applicants should possess a recent Ph.D. degree (received no earlierthan 2008) in Mathematics.Candidates should have excellent teaching skills and excellent research potential.Candidates with teaching and research interests compatible with current faculty aresought. The successful candidate will have demonstrated a commitment toexcellence through leadership in teaching, research or service towards building anequitable and diverse scholarly environment. For full consideration, applicationsshould be submitted by December 1, 2011 to www.mathjobs.org

CV October 1, 2014 4 / 11

Choose a candidate

Liberal arts university

The Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at the [LiberalArts University] is seeking to fill a tenure-track Mathematics positionat the rank of Assistant Professor to begin September, 2014.Specialization is open, with preference given to candidates who canteach courses in real analysis. Teaching responsibilities will includecourses throughout the undergraduate mathematics curriculum with anemphasis on the candidate’s areas of expertise. Please follow the belowlink for additional details and application instructions:

CV October 1, 2014 5 / 11

Who were those people?

Candidate 1: Hired by Quest University (Liberal Arts)

Candidate 2: Hired by MathCEP, University of Minnesota (MathCentre at a research University)

Candidate 3: Hired by MathCEP, University of Minnesota

Candidate 4: Went on to get an MS in Computer Science, andnow is Manager, Scotiabank

Candidate 5: Hired as a research postdoc, University ofCopenhagen

Candidate 6: Hired by University of Puget Sound (Liberal ArtsUniversity)

CV October 1, 2014 6 / 11

What goes on your CV?

Brainstorm:

On a piece of paper, write down what sort of job you want.List three accomplishments that you know you need to make sure ahiring committee knows about.

Example:

I want a teaching-focused position that allows me the flexibility tocontinue to research.

One of only 5 graduate students per year to win the campus-wideteaching award.

Mentored several undergraduate researcher teams, resulting in twograph theory papers (submitted and in preparation).

Demonstrated interest and ability in SoTL (Scholarship ofTeaching and Learning) research: one paper accepted, and twosessions organized at national conferences.

CV October 1, 2014 7 / 11

Resume vs. CV

Disclaimer my only non-academic work experience is limited to

Secretarial work in my parents’ travel agency (junior high andhigh school)

Working behind the pie counter at the British Pantry (onesummer in University)

So let’s consult:“So what are you going to do with that?”: Finding Careers OutsideAcademia (revised edition) by Susan Basalla and Maggie Debelius.

CV October 1, 2014 8 / 11

What skills do you actually have?

Examples:

Taught tutorials for various Math and Stats courses

Marked 100- and 300-level Math and Stats courses

Worked behind the pie counter at the British Pantry

Write: what skills would you acquire from those activities?

CV October 1, 2014 9 / 11

CV vs resume

A CV is. . .

. . . “bizarrely specific.” – specifies each course taught, differentiates betweenTA and instructor (p. 103)

Includes your dissertation title, all awards you’ve won, advisors’ names,references’ names, conferences you’ve attended, articles and books you’vepublished.

Modestly formatted, sometimes up to 4 pages, mostly lists.

A resume is . . .

. . . concise. – for example ‘ “College-level instructor, taught economics coursesranging from beginner to advanced levels.” ’ (p. 103)

Your field of study, and maybe one award if it was really good. (p. 110)

Formatted in an appealing, sometimes creative, way. Has brief sentences ofdescription. No more than 1 page. (p. 110)

CV October 1, 2014 10 / 11

CV vs resume

A CV is. . .

. . . “bizarrely specific.” – specifies each course taught, differentiates betweenTA and instructor (p. 103)

Includes your dissertation title, all awards you’ve won, advisors’ names,references’ names, conferences you’ve attended, articles and books you’vepublished.

Modestly formatted, sometimes up to 4 pages, mostly lists.

A resume is . . .

. . . concise. – for example ‘ “College-level instructor, taught economics coursesranging from beginner to advanced levels.” ’ (p. 103)

Your field of study, and maybe one award if it was really good. (p. 110)

Formatted in an appealing, sometimes creative, way. Has brief sentences ofdescription. No more than 1 page. (p. 110)

CV October 1, 2014 10 / 11

CV vs resume

A CV is. . .

. . . “bizarrely specific.” – specifies each course taught, differentiates betweenTA and instructor (p. 103)

Includes your dissertation title, all awards you’ve won, advisors’ names,references’ names, conferences you’ve attended, articles and books you’vepublished.

Modestly formatted, sometimes up to 4 pages, mostly lists.

A resume is . . .

. . . concise. – for example ‘ “College-level instructor, taught economics coursesranging from beginner to advanced levels.” ’ (p. 103)

Your field of study, and maybe one award if it was really good. (p. 110)

Formatted in an appealing, sometimes creative, way. Has brief sentences ofdescription. No more than 1 page. (p. 110)

CV October 1, 2014 10 / 11

CV vs resume

A CV is. . .

. . . “bizarrely specific.” – specifies each course taught, differentiates betweenTA and instructor (p. 103)

Includes your dissertation title, all awards you’ve won, advisors’ names,references’ names, conferences you’ve attended, articles and books you’vepublished.

Modestly formatted, sometimes up to 4 pages, mostly lists.

A resume is . . .

. . . concise. – for example ‘ “College-level instructor, taught economics coursesranging from beginner to advanced levels.” ’ (p. 103)

Your field of study, and maybe one award if it was really good. (p. 110)

Formatted in an appealing, sometimes creative, way. Has brief sentences ofdescription. No more than 1 page. (p. 110)

CV October 1, 2014 10 / 11

CV vs resume

A CV is. . .

. . . “bizarrely specific.” – specifies each course taught, differentiates betweenTA and instructor (p. 103)

Includes your dissertation title, all awards you’ve won, advisors’ names,references’ names, conferences you’ve attended, articles and books you’vepublished.

Modestly formatted, sometimes up to 4 pages, mostly lists.

A resume is . . .

. . . concise. – for example ‘ “College-level instructor, taught economics coursesranging from beginner to advanced levels.” ’ (p. 103)

Your field of study, and maybe one award if it was really good. (p. 110)

Formatted in an appealing, sometimes creative, way. Has brief sentences ofdescription. No more than 1 page. (p. 110)

CV October 1, 2014 10 / 11

CV vs resume

A CV is. . .

. . . “bizarrely specific.” – specifies each course taught, differentiates betweenTA and instructor (p. 103)

Includes your dissertation title, all awards you’ve won, advisors’ names,references’ names, conferences you’ve attended, articles and books you’vepublished.

Modestly formatted, sometimes up to 4 pages, mostly lists.

A resume is . . .

. . . concise. – for example ‘ “College-level instructor, taught economics coursesranging from beginner to advanced levels.” ’ (p. 103)

Your field of study, and maybe one award if it was really good. (p. 110)

Formatted in an appealing, sometimes creative, way. Has brief sentences ofdescription. No more than 1 page. (p. 110)

CV October 1, 2014 10 / 11

CV vs resume

A CV is. . .

. . . “bizarrely specific.” – specifies each course taught, differentiates betweenTA and instructor (p. 103)

Includes your dissertation title, all awards you’ve won, advisors’ names,references’ names, conferences you’ve attended, articles and books you’vepublished.

Modestly formatted, sometimes up to 4 pages, mostly lists.

A resume is . . .

. . . concise. – for example ‘ “College-level instructor, taught economics coursesranging from beginner to advanced levels.” ’ (p. 103)

Your field of study, and maybe one award if it was really good. (p. 110)

Formatted in an appealing, sometimes creative, way. Has brief sentences ofdescription. No more than 1 page. (p. 110)

CV October 1, 2014 10 / 11

Organization

Reverse Chronological Resume

Advantages: “This style is great for someone whose current job is inthe field that they want to enter.” (p. 106). Emphasize eithercompanies or positions.Disadvantages: “Maybe you’re adjunct [sessional] teaching right now,but you want to apply for a job that’s not related to teaching.” Thereader will identify you the most by the first item.

Skills-based Resume

Advantages: More accommodating of “unusual career paths” (like anacademic looking for a non-academic job) (p.107) Can grab attention ifskills listed are exactly those the employer needs.Disadvantages: Be sure to “show, not tell” – and don’t just “[add]subheadings for research and writing skills to [your] CV and call it aresume” (p.107).

CV October 1, 2014 11 / 11

Organization

Reverse Chronological Resume

Advantages: “This style is great for someone whose current job is inthe field that they want to enter.” (p. 106). Emphasize eithercompanies or positions.Disadvantages: “Maybe you’re adjunct [sessional] teaching right now,but you want to apply for a job that’s not related to teaching.” Thereader will identify you the most by the first item.

Skills-based Resume

Advantages: More accommodating of “unusual career paths” (like anacademic looking for a non-academic job) (p.107) Can grab attention ifskills listed are exactly those the employer needs.Disadvantages: Be sure to “show, not tell” – and don’t just “[add]subheadings for research and writing skills to [your] CV and call it aresume” (p.107).

CV October 1, 2014 11 / 11